The present invention relates to a combination input and output tray assembly for supplying and receiving elongated sheets of media for use with a printing device.
Printing devices such as the OKI(copyright) Data C9000 printer typically have cassettes which fit within the printing device housing for storing and feeding sheets of printing media to the printing device. Such paper cassettes are generally designed to accommodate standard sizes of printing media, such as 8xc2xdxe2x80x3 by 11xe2x80x3, 210 mm by 297 mm (ISO A4 size), 8xc2xdxe2x80x3 by 14xe2x80x3 or 11xe2x80x3 by 17xe2x80x3. Printing devices such as the OKI(copyright) Data C9000 printer also have a secondary input port into which individual sheets of printing media may be manually fed into the printing device. The input port of the OKI(copyright) Data C9000 printer is concealed behind a door disposed in the side of the printing device. When the door is opened, the door pivots outwardly at an angle of approximately 70 degrees, forming a tray from which individual sheets of printing media may be manually fed into the input port. Many printing devices, including the OKI(copyright) Data C9000 printer, include an output tray which is typically integral to the top portion of the printing device. Such output trays typically are designed to accommodate standard sizes of printing media sheets.
Problems not solved by the prior art include how sheets of printing media which are longer than standard sizes are fed into, received from and stored by the printing device. A device which solves these problems should provide advantages over the prior art.
Briefly stated, according to a first aspect of the invention, a combination input and output tray assembly for supplying and receiving elongated sheets of media for use with a printing device is provided. The printing device has an input port for receiving the elongaged sheets of media and also has an output port for discharging the elongated sheets of media. The combined input and output tray assembly comprises a first tray generally aligned with the input port, the first tray receiving and supporting at least one elongated sheet of media to be received into the input port in a first direction. A second tray overlies and connects to the first tray, the second tray being generally aligned with the output port, so that an elongated sheet of media discharged from the output port in a direction generally opposite to the first direction is received on and supported by the second tray. At least one structural member of the tray assembly is attached to the printing device.
According to a second aspect of the invention, a combination input and output tray for supplying elongated sheets of media to a printing device and receiving the elongated sheets of media from the printing device is provided, the printing device having an input port for receiving sheets of media, an output port for discharging the sheets of media, and an input port access door having extension members pivotally connected to the printing device. The combination input and output tray comprises a first structure forming an input tray, a second structure forming an output tray which is attached to the input tray and a third structure forming an output bridge, the output bridge being pivotally attached to the output tray. When the input port access door is in an open position, and the combined input and output tray is assembled with the printing device, a first end of the input tray is below the input port access door, a central portion of the input tray is on top of the extension members, and a first end of the output tray is attached to the printing device. The elongated sheets of media to be fed into the input port in a first direction rest upon the printing device input door and upon the central portion of the media input tray and, if of sufficient length, upon a second end of the media input tray. The elongated sheets of media being delivered from the output port in a second direction generally opposite the first direction are guided by the output bridge onto a central planar portion of the output tray and, if of sufficient length, onto a second end of the output tray.